Current endoscopic technologies may not facilitate treating colon perforations, large polyps and tumors, and a significant colon bleeding effectively and safely. A gastrointestinal bleeding is a common and potentially life-threatening medical condition, which can complicate any polypectomy (polyp removal), and excision of colonic tumors. A colon perforation can occur when excessive mechanical force or excessive energy is inadvertently applied to a colonic wall. A colon perforation is a life-threatening condition and currently requires major emergency surgery to close the colon perforation and preclude fecal contamination of an abdominal cavity and resulting sepsis.
Consequently, many patients who develop large polyps, colon perforation, colon bleeding and other significant colon pathology currently have to undergo a major surgery and endure a significant operative trauma and, typically, painful and prolong recovery. Currently there are no effective and safe devices and methods for replacing major abdominal surgery in case of colon perforation or when large wide-based polyps need to be removed.
Thus, there may be a need to address at least some of the deficiencies described herein above.
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/247,605 filed on Oct. 1, 2009 and entitled “Detachable Balloon Catheter” describes exemplary embodiments of device and method for treatment of a gastrointestinal perforation and/or a gastrointestinal bleeding. The exemplary device can include a balloon catheter that can control bleeding by pressing on a bleeding area or/and prevents the gastrointestinal contents trespassing outside a gastrointestinal lumen into a body cavity by blocking an opening in the luminal wall or blocking the colon distal to the perforation. Such exemplary device can be inserted using an endoscope, and can allow a partial or complete withdrawal of an endoscope, while leaving the balloon at the target area. More specifically, the exemplary device and method can facilitate ceasing a colonic bleeding and blocking a colon perforation.
The Minos Megachannel is a large bore flexible reinforced tube, which is designed to be inserted over the standard colonoscope. After the colonoscope is removed, the tube can be used as a passage for insertion of different instruments into the colon.
Further, conventional endoscopes generally have one to two working channels, which likely do not have independent movements from the main body of the endoscope. As a result, when conventional flexible endoscopic instruments are inserted via such channels into the intestinal lumen, an operator can only manipulate these instruments axially (e.g., forward and backward movements), and possibly somewhat rotationally. In addition, since the conventional instruments can only be advanced from the tip of the endoscope towards the target lesion axially and in front of the endoscopic image, the conventional instruments have only limited functionality.
Accordingly, there may be a need to address at least some of the deficiencies described herein above.